Electric lighting means and control therefor



July 29, 1943- J. E. scoTT 2,324,600

ELECTRIC LIGHTING MEANS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Filed bec. 2l, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Invent@ Joseph Earl Scama Alibovney .i

July 20, 1943. v J. E. SCOTT 2,324,600

ELECTRIC LIGHTING MEANS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Filed Dec. 2l', 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Imewhj. Jejph Earl ,Scott B9, my y Patented July 20, 1943 ELECTRIC LIGHTING MEANS AND CNTRCL THEREFOR Joseph Earl Scott, Pratt, Kans. Application December 21, 1940, Serial No. 371,217

(Cl. Zilli-59) 2 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in vehicle angle lights and operating means therefor. The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby head lights on vehicles may be controlled to burn until the vehicle is guided to make a right or left turn, at which time the head lights will be extinguished and an angle light that is directed in the direction of the turn being made will be lighted.

A further object is to provide a light control device of the kind mentioned that may be easily and quickly adjusted to light or extinguish the light at any desired degree of the turn being made by the Vehicle.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned that is easy and inexpensive to make; one that is applicable to all vehicles having a steering apparatus; and one that is simple to use; and one that is substantial and long lived. These and other objects will be more fully explained as this description progresses.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings;

Fig. l is a side view of the switch control device as it is applied to the steering apparatus of an automobile, parts being removed and shown in section for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of the switch and operating means therefor, the brush cap being removed, and parts being broken away t for convenience of illustration. The view is taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a detail cross sectional view through the switch and operating device therefor, the

view being taken along the line III- IH in Fig. 2

.and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the switch and brush assembly, the view being taken along the line IV-IV in Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the assembled device as seen from the line II--II in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View through the switch and brush device, the view being taken along the line III- III in Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram employed in the installation of the device, and illustrating the preferable position of the angle lights to the conventional head lights.

Similar numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

ln the drawings is shown an automobile steering wheel I5 and the steering shaft housing II which passes through the floor board I2 of the vehicle. The upper end of the housing I I is supported by a bracket I3 that is rigidly attached to the instrument board I4 of the vehicle. In the housing Il is the usual steering shaft I5 on which is mounted the steering wheel Iii.

My invention comprises the worm IG which is rigidly attached to the steering shaft I5, and which is in mesh with a worm gear segment I'I that is rigidly mounted on a switch arm operating shaft lil on which is removably mounted a switch arm I9 in which is slidably socketed a brush element 20 that is urged outwardly against Contact elements, which will later be described, by means of a helical spring 2| that is compressed between the inner end of the brush 2D and the end of a metallic electrical conductor element 22 that is L-shaped and one leg of the L is positioned behind the spring 2| while the other leg of the L rests on top of the switch arm I9 and is provided with a depression 23 that is positioned on the center axis of the shaft I8 and in which is seated a brush element 24 that is in electrical connection with the wire 25 which is the feed wire to the lighting system, the other side of the circuit being grounded. The brush 20 rests against contact points that will later be described.

In order to put the worm I6 on the shaft I5, it is necessary that a piece be cut out of the housing lI, so as to make room for the worm I6 as shown in Fig. l. The worm I6 may be put on the shaft I5 by slipping the worm I5 over the end of, and up the shaft I5 to the desired position where the worm may be keyed to the shaft I5 and held in position by means of a pin 26 that is passed through the worm element I6 and the shaft I5. It will also be understood that the worm element I6 may be made in two pieces and placed around the shaft I5 and the pieces bolted together as a means of clamping the worm I6 on the shaft I5, thereby being able to put the worm i5 on the shaft I6 without tearing down the assembly of the steering mechanism.

At 21 and 28 is shown housing elements that are bolted together by bolts 29 in such a manner as to rigidly clamp the elements 21 and 28 on the adjacent ends of the steering shaft housing II and to also house the worm I6. The housing 2S is provided with a laterally extending housing 2U in which is housed the gear segment I'I that is rigidly mounted on the shaft I8.

At 3! is a complementary housing that is bolted to the housing by means of bolts 32 to complete the housing 3|) and to form a rigid clamp like mounting 33 for the housing element 34, in which is formed bearing portions 35 and 36 for the shaft |8.

On the upper end of the housing 34 is integrally formed an open top circular shaped cup like housing 31 in which is mounted a pair of electrical contact carrying elements 38 and 39 that are provided with upwardly extending flange like members 38a and 39a. 'I'he electrical contact carrying elements 38 and 39 are halved together as shown at A and are revolvably mounted around an annular flange like portion |8a formed on the upper end of the shaft I8. The adjacent flanged portions of the outer ends of the electrical contact carrying elements 38 and 39 are tongued and halved together as shown at B and are provided with metallic faces 40 and 4| and the metallic element 4| is turned over the top of the flange 32a to form a metallic top face 4|a on the flange 38 and projecting therefrom and overlapping and contacting the edge of the metallic face 46 on the flange element 39a so that the elements 38 and 39 may be revolved toward or away from each other, and the tongue portion 40 will slide between the tongue portion 4| and the metallic top face 49a. Also on the flange 38a is a contact element 42 that is spaced a short distance away from the adjacent end of the contact element 4|.

The upper edge of the contact element 42 is turned over the upper edge of the flange element 38a to form a metallic face therefor.

At 43 is a contact element on the face of the anged portion 33a, the upper edge of which is turned over the upper edge of the flanged portion 39a to form a metallic face therefor. One end of the contact element 4.3 is spaced a short distance away from the adjacent end of the contact end 48.

The faces of these contact points 40, 4l-4la, 42 and 43 lie in a circular shape about the center axis of the shaft I8, and the contact carrying elements 38 and 39 and the parts carried thereon are movable toward and within the housing 31.

At 44 is an operating element for the contact carrying elements 38 and 35. The operating element is a Y-shaped element, one leg 45 of which slidably passes through the wall of the housing 31, the other two legs 46 and 41 of which straddle the upper end of the shaft |8 and lie on the floor of the cup shaped housing 31 and under the contact carrying elements 38 and 39 and are provided with upwardly projecting which are positioned in elongated holes 56 and 5| in the contact carrying elements 38 and 39.

The outer end 45a of the leg 45 is turned at any desired angle to the leg 45 and is provided with a hole through which is passed the threaded end v5| of a stud formed on the end of a shaft 52. There being a nut 53 threaded on the stud 5| so as to rigidly bind and hold the turned portion 45a between the nut 53 and the end of the shaft 52.

The shaft 52 extends from the turned portion 45a to and through the instrument .board I4 of the vehicle and terminates in a knob 54 by which the shaft 52 may be pulled or pushed for adjustment purposes of the electrical contact carrying elements as will later be described.

At 55 is shown a cap element that is made of electrical insulating material and is fitted on the top of the cup shaped housing 31 and is held in away from each other pin elements 48 and 49 g proper position thereon 4by means of two spring "75 clip elements 56 and 51 that are rigidly attached to the outside of the cup shaped housing 31 and catching on pin elements 58 and 59 that are rigidly fixed in the cap 55. In the cap 55 is rigidly fixed four brush holders 60, 6|, 62 and 63 that are electrically connected with one end of the wires 25, 64, 65 and 66 respectively.

Each of these brush holders are constructed the same and comprise a metallic body portion 62 that is provided with a flange portion X that is embedded in the cap 55, the lower portion of the body 62 is provided with a bore in which is positioned a brush Y, there being a helical spring Z compressed between the upper end of the brush X and the bore in which the brush X is slidably mounted. The upper portion of the body 62 is provided with a small bore T in which the wire, such as 65 is positioned and at U is a set screw, threaded in the body 62 and engaging the wire 65 as a means of binding the wire 65 in the bore T and making a definite electrical Contact between the wire 65 and the body 62. At V is a housing made of electrical insulating material and is threaded on the body element 62 so as to bear against an insulating washer W that is positioned between the housing V and the cap 55.

It will be understood that the helical spring Z will press the brush X downward to Contact its respective contact elements 42, 4| a or 43 or 22, as the case may be.

The other end of the wire 25 is connected to one side of the light control switch 61, At 68 is a wire, one end of which connects to the other side of the switch 61 and the other end connects to one post of the battery 69, and at 16 is another wire, one end of which connects to the other post of the battery 63, and the other end of the wire 10 is connected with the ground.

The other end of the wire 65 connects with one side of a resistance 1| for dimming the head light in the usual manner.

connect with the head The other end of the angle light 15, and the connects with the angle that connects with the wire 64 connects with the other end of the wire 66 light 16. At 11 is a wire nects with the ground.

The head lights 13 and 14 are conventional head lights found on most all motor driven vehicles. The angle lights 15 and 16 are preferably built into the head lights 13 and 14 in such a manner that the left head light 13 will cast a the head lights 13 and 14 may be dimmed or brightened in the usual follows: To whereupon volve the shaft i8 and switch arm I9 so that the switch arm I9 will slip the brush 25J from contact with the contact elements 4Il-4I--4a to the contact element 43, whereupon the circuit of the headlights 'I3 and 'I4 would be broken and the headlights 'i3 and "I4 would therefore be eX- tinguished and the circuit for the angle light 'I5 would be completed and the angle light 'I5 would therefore be lighted and would cast a beam of light in the direction of the arrow D which is to the right side of the vehicle. As the vehicle makes the turn and the steering wheel` Il) and steering shaft I5 is turned so as to steer the Vehicle to run in a straight line, the elements I-II and I8 will swing the switch arm I9 to its original position whereupon the brush 2i! will again contact the contact points 40-4I-4Ia and the circuit for the angle light 'I5 will be broken and the angle light I5 will therefore be extinguished, and the circuit for the head lights 'I3 and 'I4 will again be completed and the headlights 13 and 'I4 will then be lighted and cast a beam of light in the direction of the arrows C which is straight ahead of the vehicle.

Now if the steering wheel III and shaft I5 be turned so as to steer the vehicle to the left, the parts I-I'I-IB would operate to swing the switch arm IS to a position where the brush 2U will contact the contact element 42, whereupon the circuit for the head light 'I3 and 'I4 would be broken and the lights 'I3 and I4 extinguished, and the circuit for the angle light 'I6 would be completed and the angle light 16 would therefore be lighted and would cast a beam of light in the direction of the arrow E which is to the left side of the vehicle. Now if the steering wheel II] and shaft I5 be turned so as to again steer the vehicle to run in a straight line, the elements IB-I 'I-Il would again swing the switch arm I9 to a position such that the brush 20 will contact the contact elements 40-4I-4Ia whereupon the circuit for the angle light 'I6 would be broken and the angle light 'I6 would therefore be extinguished, and the circuit for the head lights I3 and 'I4 would again be completed and the headlights 13 and I4 would again cast a beam of light in the direction of the arrows C which is straight ahead of the vehicle.

Now it is desirable to adjust the switch device with respect as to when the headlights will be extinguished and the angle light lighted relative to the sharpness of the turn being made by the vehicle. This adjustment is made as follows: We will assume that the front wheels of the vehicle will be turned for ordinary trafc down the street in which the vehicle passes other vehicles and must swing around them, in which operation it is desired that the angle lights 'I5 and 'I6 do not operate.

To accomplish this, the knob 54, rod 52 and Y- shaped element 45 are pulled rearwardly, and whereby the contact carrying elements 38 and 39 are revolved away from each other, thereby increasing the distance between the contact points 42 and 43 so that the switch arm I9 may be allowed to have considerable swing without contacting the contact points 42 and 43, which movement will be set up by the turning the shaft I5 in guiding the vehicle around other vehicles and the head lights I3 and 'lil will continue to burn and the angle lights 'i5 and 'l5 will not have been brought into service.

Now if the vehicle is to turn a corner and the turn to be made is rather sharp, and the angle lights are to be used early in the turn, the knob 54, shaft 52 and Y-shaped element 45 are pushed forward, whereby the contact carrying elements 38 and 39 are revolved towards each other, thereby materially shortening the distance between the contact points 42 and i3 so that as the shaft I5 is revolved, to guide the front wheels of the vehicle to make the turn, the switch arm i9 and brush 2li therein will be swung the seme as above described, but the brush pi will Contact the contact points 42 er 43 as the case may be, earlier in the turn ci guiding the front wheels of the vehicle.

Also as shown in '7, the variable resistance l I affects only the headlights 'I3 and '54, therefore the head lights may be dimmed, but as the turn is being made and the lights I5 or 16 is brought into use, these lights will be bright lights so as to fully light the area onto which the vehicle is turning, and as the vehicle is making the turn and is guided to run in a substantially straight line, the head lights I3 and 'I4 will again be lighted and their brightness will be influenced by the variable resistance 'II the same as before.

Such modifications may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claims. Now having fully described my invention, I claim:

l. In an electric switch device for the control of three electric circuits; said switch device having a switch arm carried on a shaft and being swingable in opposite directions thereby, three contact elements, said contact elements being arranged in a segment of a circle, the second of said contact elements being stationarily positioned, the first and third contact elements being carried, each on a swingable element that is revolvable about an axis that is the center axis of said shaft so that the rst and third contact elements may be moved in an arc toward or away from the second contact element, and operating means connected to the iirst and third Contact carrying elements for the simultaneous movement of said elements to equally space the first and third contact elements at varied distances from the second contact element, said operating means being movable from remote distances, said switch arm being adapted to engage the said contact elements separately during the swinging movement of the arm, and electrical contact means for each electrical contact element and said switch arm for the delivery of electric current as described.

2. In an electric switch device for the control of three electric circuits; said device being as defined in claim 1, said shaft having a gear segment rigidly mounted thereon and being in mesh with a worm on the steering shaft of a vehicle as and for the purpose described.

JOSEPH EARL SCOTT. 

